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Thursday, May 29, 2014

Three more days....

This will be my fourth year participating in ICAD, and I absolutely love it.

The challenge, as the name implies, is to make a piece of art on an index card every day from June 1st - July 31st.

Tammy (our hostess) has written a fabulous and comprehensive FAQ about the challenge.

If you enjoy the social aspect of art groups, there's an ICAD flickr group and an ICAD facebook page, as well as a weekly Mr. Linky from Tammy's ICAD blog.

Doing this challenge in 2011 changed my life. I kid you not. I'm not overstating this. Getting into the habit of making something every day was transforming. It taught me that it IS possible for me to find time to create every day, no matter how busy I think I am. It taught me that even 5 minutes of creative effort each day makes me a happier, healthier person. It taught me that on days I think I don't want to create, if I just do a teeny little something I will probably get so energized that I will end up creating for hours. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, by posting my cards in the flickr group, and browsing everyone else's submissions, I met some wonderful artists who have now become my friends.

The beauty of this challenge is the ephemeral nature of index cards. As Tammy says...

"The challenge is about the DOING
and not the KEEPING or PRESERVING or ARCHIVING. It is the process of
creating each day that matters."

Index cards aren't precious. They are cheap and plentiful. I can paint, draw or collage on them and if I don't like what I made I can toss it in the recycle bin and grab another. and another.

This morning, as a warm-up, I sat down and made these five quick cards, using nothing but the scraps on my desk. It has me incredibly excited for this year's challenge. I hope you'll consider playing along!

Woohoo! I signed for this just the other day! I'm so happy to see some friends have joined as well. :) I have my cards and my box of scraps for my "playing" for the next couple of days.. :) Are you in the fb group Karen?

Headed to start my first card of the year right now. I totally agree about the life changing. It has been for me too. A change of attitude that has enriched my life in so many ways. I'm looking to have fun playing with various materials and experimenting.

You're off to a bang up start! And I've been SO looking forward to this and then I go out of town and don't realize June 1 is during the time I was gone.....so I missed the first day! Sheesh! But, I'm getting on track today so will once again play. Like you, the first year I joined (this is my 3rd) I found myself amazed at how satisfying it is to make a "little" something every day. Now it's more a year-round practice, but the simplicity of this challenge make it just so darn appealing. ICAD, here I come!